


Unwrap my heart

by SilentRain91



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Minor Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, One Shot, Sanvers centric, this one is for the Sanvers fans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 09:17:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13143627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentRain91/pseuds/SilentRain91
Summary: Maggie meets a little girl who melts her heart. A year later when Christmas comes around, Alex calls Maggie and shares her feelings. Of course Maggie hops on a plane and shows up at Alex's door, what else?





	Unwrap my heart

 

_Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh_

_O’er the fields we go, laughing all the way_

_Bells on bobtails ring, making spirits bright_

_What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight_

 

Maggie poured herself another glass of scotch while she listened to the Christmas carolers in the distance. Unlike others, her apartment was bare of any Christmas decorations. She wasn’t in the holiday spirit because it stung too much knowing she had to spend the holidays without Alex. Barely six months ago, they were engaged and they were happy, but then that one obstacle was brought up; kids.

She knew Alex truly wanted children and parting ways was the right thing to do so they could both find what they want. The problem was she didn’t want any children. She wanted a partner who was okay with not having children. That was what she wanted, though what she needed was Alex, the woman she fell so madly in love with.

The scotch burned a little as she swallowed it down. She imagined her holidays eating pizza, drinking beer or cheap wine and avoiding all types of romantic and holiday movies by watching some good old action movies instead. It was a pity her boss insisted her to pick up the overtime she built because he insisted the year was about to end and she had to take a two weeks leave, whether she liked it or not.

Her parents didn’t understand why she didn’t move back to Blue Springs now that her engagement was long called off. The only thing worse than spending the holidays alone in her apartment was spending her holidays with her parents who didn’t understand the fact her engagement with Alex was off didn’t make her any less gay. To them it was a celebration on its own her wedding wasn’t happening, which for her merely added another blow.

A loud knock on her door shook her out of her stupor. With a sigh, she put her glass down on the counter and opened the door.

Okay, that wasn’t a group of Christmas carolers.

She wasn’t sure yet if that was good or bad.

It was one of her neighbors who may as well have been the Grinch. Ms. Hyde was a hairy middle-aged woman who hated Christmas.

“Yes, Ms. Hyde?” Maggie asked, frowning at the rough grip she had on a little girl’s arm.

“I told the police department there was a thief snooping around, but do they ever take me serious? No,” Ms. Hyde grumbled while she tugged at the girl’s arm. The little girl whimpered quietly. “I caught the filthy little thief.”

“Ms. Hyde, please calm down and let go of the girl,” Maggie replied, holding her hands up while she spoke slowly and relaxed. “You’re hurting her.”

“That’ll teach her for being a thief,” Ms. Hyde hissed.

Maggie wanted to work, but dealing with an angry neighbor didn’t fit into that plan. “What did she steal?” she asked, eyeing the little girl.

The girl was young, too young to be a thief, although some gangs used young children who got off with a warning when caught. Still, those children were usually somewhere between seven and thirteen years old, while this little girl was visibly younger than that. Her hair was a brown unruly mess, she had hazel eyes, her shoes were missing shoelaces and she didn’t have a coat on.

“She stole a sandwich,” Ms. Hyde answered, saying it as if the little girl stole the most valuable thing she owned.

Maggie didn’t want to anger her neighbor further, who was already blowing up over basically nothing. “I’ll deal with her,” she replied with a polite smile.

“You better,” Ms. Hyde grumbled. She roughly pushed the girl towards Maggie, causing the little girl to stumble. “She’s your problem now, detective. That little punk deserves a good whipping.”

Maggie didn’t say much more as she shut her door. She opened her mouth to address the girl, but the little girl ran off and slid down against a corner of her apartment. “Hey, kid,” she said, a little awkward while she approached the girl.

The girl had her knees pulled up under her chin. Her eyes were wide and she flinched when Maggie crouched down in front of her.

Maggie wasn’t sure how to deal with a child, but she did know she didn’t want to loom above her. “My name is Maggie and I’m not going to hurt you,” she said, contemplating if showing her badge would help or worsen the situation. “Ms. Hyde is kind of a Grinch, hm?” she asked, although the girl simply stared at her. “Can you tell me your name?”

The girl didn’t respond.

“I’m hungry, I’m going to make some sandwiches,” Maggie said while she stood up. She selected peanut butter and jelly, assuming pretty much everyone liked that. Once she was done making two sandwiches, she left one at the far end of her table and didn’t look at it.

From the corner of her eye, she registered small hands reaching out for the sandwich and it broke her heart because the girl was so little she could barely reach the table. The girl was clearly not a thief, just a starving child who was probably homeless or came from a poor home.

Maggie ate her sandwich slowly to give the child enough time to eat hers. When she was sure the girl finished eating it, she turned around. “Mhmm, such good sandwiches,” she said, licking her lips. “I’m going to make more. Do you want one?”

The girl responded by nodding her head this time.

Maggie made four more sandwiches, just to be sure, and put them on a plate. “I eat on my couch sometimes while I watch cartoons, don’t tell anyone though,” she said to the girl with a wink. “Do you ever eat on the couch?”

The girl shook her head.

“Do you have a couch?” Maggie asked, trying to keep a smile in place when the girl shook her head again. By now she had a feeling the child was homeless. “I live by myself, are you all by yourself, too?”

The girl nodded her head and followed Maggie to the couch.

“Here, you can take a sandwich, if you want to,” Maggie said while she put the plate closer to the little girl who was sitting as far away from her as possible. She tried to imagine how the child felt, being inside a stranger’s apartment while Ms. Hyde handled her roughly moments ago. “How does your arm feel, mija?”

The girl stared at Maggie strangely. She pulled her quivering lip between her teeth.

“When I was younger and I got hurt, my mother tried to kiss it better,” Maggie said, feeling a bit stupid for sharing a youth sentiment with a little girl who confirmed she was all by herself. “Sometimes she hugged me.”

“Cartoons,” Maggie mumbled, trying to find cartoons to watch while the little girl got a start on the sandwiches. It felt strange, sitting on her couch with such a tiny person. Everything about the little girl pulled at her heartstrings. “How old are you?” she asked, hoping she didn’t sound too much as if she was trying to interrogate her, even though she had a strong urge to ask question after question until she figured out who the child was and where exactly she came from.

Four little fingers moved up while the girl curled her thumb towards her palm.

Maggie was relieved the child responded at least a little bit. Four was young, far too young to be homeless. It was late, so by now the shelter was closed. Her best bet seemed to keep the little girl with her for the night and seek a solution tomorrow. Not that dropping a four year old off at some shelter by herself felt like much of a solution. No, she needed something better than that.

Hardly an hour later, the little girl was yawning and rubbing in her eyes.

“Hmm, I don’t have pajamas for you, but maybe one of my shirts will do as a nightgown,” Maggie mumbled while she got up. She went to select a simple shirt, swallowing when she found the orange shirt which actually belonged to Alex. She didn’t even realize she still had it.

“Here, sweetie,” Maggie said, frowning when the little girl lifted her arms up. “Oh,” she whispered, seriously wondering who took care of the child if she couldn’t even get changed by herself. “I’ll just… yeah,” she said as she picked her up.

“Maybe a shower first,” Maggie decided.

She put the girl down on her bathroom floor and turned the water of her shower on, arranging the temperature until it was kind of lukewarm. She tried not to stare too much while she helped the little girl to undress, because she definitely noticed a few bruises here and there. The child was underfed to the point where she could count her ribs and she was quite sure she was very little for her age.

Showering turned out to be a challenge because the little girl spluttered under the stream of the water.

Maggie was gentle as she washed the girl’s hair. Once the girl was clean, she combed her hair and slipped the shirt on, which was too big, but it was the best she could do on such a short notice. “Are you sleepy, mija?” she asked, smiling while the girl yawned.

“Isabel,” the girl said, pointing at herself.

Maggie gave the girl a dimpled smile because she must have thought she was calling her mija, which she was, although not as a name. Her heart ached when she realized she used a term of endearment the way she would to a daughter, if she had one. When she was younger, her parents used to call her mija.

“You have a pretty name, Isabel,” she said to the girl who gave her a shy smile.

Isabel yawned again and surprised Maggie by bringing her arms up around her neck.

Maggie wrapped her arms around Isabel and stood up. She walked over to her bed and carefully put her down, tucking her in. She chewed her lip, wondering if Isabel would roll and fall out of bed during the night. After some hesitation, she got under the covers and wrapped an arm around Isabel, only to ensure she wouldn’t fall and get hurt.

Isabel snuggled up against Maggie and promptly closed her eyes.

Maggie was wide-eyed and awake, hyperaware of the tiny person curled up against her. She wasn’t sure how much time passed while she watched Isabel sleep, until she saw her stir.

“Mama,” Isabel whimpered, stirring a bit more while her eyes remained closed.

Maggie wondered if Isabel was having a nightmare. “You’re safe, mija,” she whispered, brushing her fingers through Isabel’s hair. Something tugged at her heart again. It was a foreign feeling, wanting to shelter such an innocent, fragile, tiny being.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“I love you,” Alex whispered into her cellphone. Nothing but the sound of music in the background and a sigh returned what she thought was an open and honest expression, a declaration her feelings hadn’t lessened. “Did you hear me?” she asked, pausing for a beat. “I said I love you, still love you, because I don’t know how to stop loving you, Maggie.”

“It’s been about a year and a half since we parted ways, but not a day has gone by where I didn’t think about you,” Alex confessed.

She knew she shouldn’t be calling Maggie, especially not while she had been drinking, but the holidays were closing in and she couldn’t go through the holidays without her again. It hurt last year not having Maggie around. Kara had been trying to cheer her up, but at some point her sister’s cheerfulness was annoying. She was happy Kara finally let go of Mon-El now that she had Lena though.

“Sometimes I wonder if I made a mistake,” she said with an audible sigh. “I met a few women, some of them were sweet and shared common interests with me, but none of them were right because none of them… they just… they weren’t you, Maggie.”

_“Alex.”_

Alex’s eyes stung with tears upon hearing Maggie’s voice. It felt so good to hear her voice after all this time, other than the videos she had on her phone, which she would watch and listen to just to catch a glimpse of the woman she loved. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have called,” she apologized, realizing she was out of line and she wasn’t the only one trying to move on.

“Kara would probably steal my phone if she knew what I was doing,” she chuckled into her phone. “She’s dating Lena now. It’s been a few months. About time, right? And I know, I know, you called it, you were right, Lena Luthor is super gay for my sister,” she said, smiling when she heard a faint chuckle. “I digress. I just wanted you to know how I feel and I just… I miss you.”

 _“I miss you, too, Alex,”_ Maggie replied, sounding as if she was struggling to hold back tears.

Alex’s heart leapt. This was a mistake, she shouldn’t have called Maggie. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled quickly before she hung up.

She turned off her phone and tossed it aside. Ice cream wasn’t going to make her feel better, but she decided to have some ice cream while watching a movie. A sad smile appeared on her face while she opened her freezer, purely because the ice cream she had in there was the disgusting vegan ice cream Maggie enjoyed so much. She kept buying it despite not being much of a fan of it, considering she was still holding on to things which reminded her of Maggie.

It wasn’t healthy, she knew that, but she was engaged for Christ sakes! It wasn’t the same as how her sister used to cry about Mon-El who she hardly dated for three months. Maggie was going to be her wife because she was in love with her and wanted to spend the rest of her life with her. Sure a year and a half passed, but the ache of the heartbreak was still there.

She tried dating, which never got anywhere. It wasn’t fair towards the women she dated to even think about going for a serious relationship while she wasn’t emotionally available. Every time she went on a date, she thought of how they weren’t Maggie. None of them had Maggie’s adorable dimpled smile which always melted her heart, none of them partnered up with her or kissed her the way Maggie did.

Halfway through _Die hard_ , someone was knocking on her door. She had hoped to spend her Friday afternoon undisturbed. Apparently someone had different plans. She stopped the movie and put the quarter of ice cream she had left back in her freezer.

“Lena,” she said, quite surprised to see the Luthor at her door.

“Hello, Alex,” Lena replied with a dazzling smile. “Is this a bad time?” she asked, frowning slightly as her eyes raked down Alex’s sweatpants and loose grey shirt.

“No, I was just chilling,” Alex answered, offering Lena the best smile she could muster. “What’s up?” she asked, and if Lena knew she was lying, she was gracious enough not to mention it.

“I’m about to do some last minute shopping and I was wondering if you would like to join me,” Lena explained, looking as if she just left L-Corp, considering she was wearing an expensive suit. She didn’t have to take her coat off for Alex to see that. “I could use your opinion on what Kara would enjoy the most.”

“Oh easy, food, always food,” Alex replied, chuckling, half-kidding.

“Oh, I already bought her a restaurant,” Lena said casually. “All I need is something extra.”

“Right because the restaurant isn’t extra on its own,” Alex mumbled under her breath. She smiled, hoping Lena didn’t hear too much of that because she didn’t mean it in a wrong way. “Give me five minutes to get changed.”

“Of course,” Lena said, her smile ever in place. “Take your time.”

Alex needed a few last minute gifts as well, so it was probably a good thing Lena came over to drag her out of her apartment. She chucked on a sweater and some jeans.

“I tried calling you, but it went straight to voicemail,” Lena said, still standing near the door.

“Oh yea, my battery died,” Alex replied quickly.

It was wrong to lie, but she wasn’t up to sharing she called Maggie, poured her heart out, hung up and turned her phone off in a rush of panic. She hoped Lena wouldn’t smell the alcohol in her breath because it wouldn’t send a good signal she was drinking early in the day. She grabbed her coat, wondering when Lena would feel comfortable enough to walk around and sit on her couch or something rather than just stand there.

Lena was silent for a moment as they walked. Surprisingly, they didn’t use Lena’s car. “Are you alright, Alex?” she asked, sounding sincerely concerned.

“Second time I’m about to celebrate the holidays without Maggie, why wouldn’t I be fine?” Alex answered with a nervous bittersweet chuckle as she tucked her hair behind her ear. “Don’t tell Kara, she would only worry. I just… I need time,” she said, although she was growing tired of needing time. The pain was supposed to lessen, she was supposed to give it a place, but instead she felt as if she let her soulmate slip between her fingers.

“For what it’s worth, I’m here if you want to talk,” Lena replied with a small smile. “Nobody expects you to move on quickly. It’s okay if it takes you another week, another month, another year or even longer. You were engaged and Maggie meant the world to you.”

“She really did,” Alex confirmed. She took a deep breath, willing herself not to cry. “She still does,” she corrected, because time hadn’t changed how she felt about Maggie. “I’m sorry, it’s the holidays and I’m being a mess.”

“You’re not being a mess. Trust me, I grew up with Luthors,” Lena said while she hooked an arm around Alex’s. “I know they say tis the season to be jolly, but it’s okay if you can’t manage a smile all the time.”

“I’m happy my sister has you, Lena,” Alex said, and she meant it. “By the way, what did you do to her office this year?” she asked, smiling because she recalled how Kara gushed last year about how Lena filled her office with balloons and freshly baked cookies.

“I may have rented kittens for a day so she could play with them,” Lena answered, blushing. “I know she loves animals, so I figured it would be a nice surprise.”

“Well, I guess we won’t be seeing Supergirl today,” Alex replied, laughing. “You do realize she’s definitely going to want to keep at least a handful of kittens, right?”

“It did cross my mind she might try to keep as many kittens as she can carry,” Lena admitted. “If I can name at least one of them Mister Whiskers, I’m good.”

Alex’s jaw dropped, surprised Lena Luthor was up for having a bunch of kittens. Once her sister would catch wind of that, Lena’s place would turn into a mini-zoo. “Learn something new every day,” she said, shaking her head.

Lena’s eyes lit up when they entered a typical Christmas gift shop. Within minutes she gathered Christmas sweaters, antlers, decorations and sugary goods. “I made dinner reservations for tonight,” she announced. “Kara and I are hoping you will be there.”

Alex would have rather curled up on her couch tonight, although she knew she had to get out of her apartment more, outside of work. “Of course I’ll be there,” she replied, hoping she didn’t sound too strained.

Lena’s phone chimed and she smiled when she looked at her screen. “Kara texted me a picture,” she said to Alex, showing her phone to her.

Alex smiled at the sight of her sister, surrounded by kittens. “Oh, you’re definitely doomed, she’s going to want to keep all of them,” she said, quite sure because Kara was already pouting in the picture.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Maggie closed her suitcase. “Did you pack your things, Izzy?” she called out while she zipped her suitcase shut.

Isabel strutted into the room, dragging a backpack across the floor. “I can’t find my bunny, mama,” she said, making a sad face.

“Your bunny is right here, mija,” Maggie replied, picking up the stuffed animal from the bed.

Isabel smiled when Maggie handed the bunny to her.

Maggie bought that bunny for Isabel last year, for Christmas, along with some clothes and other things, though by now she had outgrown the clothes. A year ago when she met Isabel, she got attached and decided to adopt her. It was a slow process, but eventually she managed to officially become Isabel’s mother. She never thought she would be a parent, but Isabel changed that.

Somehow, Isabel wrapped herself around her heart. She had a better understanding now why some people wanted to be a parent. It wasn’t always easy, there were ups and downs, but at the end of the day she felt proud she could call herself a mother. She knew she would never turn out the way her parents did because she would always love Isabel no matter what.

“Two hours left to catch our plane,” Maggie noted. “I think we have everything,” she said, nodding to herself. “Although I am missing one thing,” she said, humming.

Isabel scrunched up her face. “What is it, mama?” she asked in her childlike innocence.

“A hug,” Maggie answered, smiling as she crouched down so her daughter could reach her. “A big hug from my little bug,” she said while she wrapped her arms around Isabel. “I love you, mija.”

“I love you too, mama,” Isabel replied, wrapping her small arms as tightly around Maggie as she could.

Maggie double checked their hotel room to ensure nothing was left behind. Last time she went to a hotel, which was during the summer, she nearly forgot her passport. This time everything she needed quickly was in her purse. Her mind was everywhere, but she couldn’t get too distracted. Alex’s phone call still swam through her head.

Her heart ached and there was so much she wanted to say back, but Alex abruptly hung up and when she tried to call her back, she got her voicemail. It was possible Alex drank too much, although that didn’t make the situation better at all. Maybe she was crazy cutting her vacation kind of short to go back to National City.

Isabel stared out of the window during their cab ride to the airport.

Maggie could say she definitely changed compared to roughly two years ago. Even up until a year ago, she was so sure she didn’t want children, but all it took was for Isabel to stumble into her life. A year ago, Isabel clung to her while she was pretty much scared of everyone else. When she took her to see a doctor back then, she had to hold her hand the entire time.

“Look, mama!” Isabel said loudly while she pushed her fingertip against the window. “It’s Santa!”

Maggie didn’t have much time left to get to the airport, but the look full of wonder on her daughter’s face couldn’t go ignored. “Stop here, please,” she said to the cab driver. “Keep the motor running.”

The cab driver nodded and Maggie got out with her daughter.

Isabel was so excited about the Santa on the street, who was collecting money in a bucket. “Santa!” she yelled, waving her arms up in the air while she trudged through the snow.

Maggie smiled and put some money into the bucket. “Her name is Isabel,” she whispered to the man dressed as Santa Claus.

The man sat down on a nearby bench and patted his lap.

Isabel squealed while she went to sit on Santa’s lap.

“Hello, Isabel,” the man said with a friendly smile.

“Mama, Santa knows my name!”

Maggie took a few quick pictures with her phone. She appreciated it that the man was rolling with it, even though he didn’t have to.

“What would you like for Christmas?” the man asked Isabel.

“Last year you gave me a mama, just like I wanted,” Isabel said, smiling. “This year…,” she continued pausing. She shifted on Santa’s lap and whispered in his ear. Once she was done whispering, she hopped off of his lap. “It’s your turn, mama.”

“Oh,” Maggie whispered, a little surprised. She kept her eyes on her daughter while she awkwardly sat down on the man’s lap. “What did she ask for?” she asked him in a whisper.

“She wants you to meet someone so you wouldn’t be so sad anymore,” the man answered. “Children are smarter than we think. They notice more than we know.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” Maggie breathed out. She thought she was subtle about it, but apparently she wasn’t. “Thank you for your time.”

Isabel talked on and on about Santa and about elves on their way to the airport. She talked about the North Pole and how she wished she could become an elf so she could make toys for children and give some to orphans.

“Hold my hand, mija,” Maggie said once they were at the airport. It was crowded and she didn’t want to let her daughter out of her sight for even a second.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“This is Snowball, because he’s white like snow and he’s so cute,” Kara said, grinning from ear to ear while she showed a picture of a white kitten. “This is Mister Whiskers,” she said, showing a picture of a striped kitten. “Lena named him. It’s a great name, isn’t it?”

“Super great,” Alex answered, trying to look surprised, as if Lena didn’t tell her earlier today she wanted to name one of the kittens Mister Whiskers.

“I don’t mean to be biased, but Mister Whiskers is probably my favorite,” Lena said, smiling. “He’s the only one I got to name after all.”

“Oh…,” Kara said, frowning at Lena. “Did you want to name more of them? Because we can still change their names if that’s the case. I’m okay with you choosing more than one name. Princess doesn’t have to be called Princess and our orange tabby doesn’t have to be Garfield just because I watched Garfield lots of times because he loves lasagna and I love food, too. I mean sure, Garfield is the fattest kitten and his name is fitting, but we could call him something else. Anything you want, because we’re equals.”

Alex sipped from her wine while her sister rambled. Lena was so hooked to Kara. It was clear as day how much Lena was into her sister with the way she hung onto her every word. She missed someone hanging onto her lips like that, well not just someone; Maggie. Maggie could never be just someone because she was so much more than that. Thinking about Maggie had her zone out for a while, not that it mattered since Kara was too caught up rambling and Lena was too occupied only having eyes and ears for her sister.

What she had with Maggie felt so right. They were like magnets who felt a constant pull until they finally got to be together. Like two pieces of a puzzle, clicking together. She was sure she wanted to marry Maggie and that feeling didn’t stop when they separated a year and a half ago. A large part of her still wanted to marry Maggie. It was hard to accept there was one obstacle in their way, one they would always stumble over and it couldn’t be ignored. She hoped if Maggie met someone, it was someone amazing who made her smile every day and made her feel loved in the way she deserved.

Maggie was like finding the perfect clothes, only to find out the clothes weren’t her size. Maggie was like a book with the last chapter missing because she couldn’t accept the end, couldn’t close the book. Maggie was the kind of woman who made her smile after long tiring days. Maggie held her when she lost her father all over again. No matter how much she wished she could be with Maggie, she wanted children and that was never going to change.

“Alex,” Kara said, snapping her fingers until Alex snapped her head in her direction. “Are you-”

“I’ll bake some cookies for the holidays,” Alex interrupted with a tired smile. She couldn’t deal with being asked again if she was okay. No, she was not okay, but she didn’t want to talk about it. “I’ll make extra so you can take a container with you,” she said to her sister.

“If you make extra she will eat more cookies,” Lena pointed out. She raised an eyebrow when Kara gawked at her.

Kara sighed. “Okay, yes, you’re not wrong,” she admitted to Lena.

“Because I am right,” Lena replied, licking her lipstick red lips.

“No, you’re just… not wrong,” Kara said, blushing lightly when Lena chuckled.

Alex loved seeing Kara and Lena being their love bird selves, but sometimes it was a bit much. “Thank you for dinner,” she said politely while she got up. “I’ll see you both for Christmas Eve,” she said as she slipped her coat on.

Kara opened her mouth, but stopped when Lena rested a hand on top of hers.

“We’ll see you then, Alex,” Lena said with a kind smile. “Take care.”

Kara’s smile was a bit hesitant and Alex was sure she was tempted to ask again if she was okay.

Alex wasn’t surprised when her sister got up to hug her.

“Text me when you’re home,” Kara whispered before she let go. “I hope some of those cookies will be chocolate chip.”

Alex nodded, although she knew it meant she had to turn her phone on, which she still hadn’t. She was worried Maggie may have left her a voicemail to tell her not to call again or something similar and she wasn’t ready for that. When she called her in the rush of the moment, she hadn’t been ready to hear her voice again, despite how much she missed her.

Missing Maggie always got harder during the holidays, during moments she wished she could spend with her. The mistletoe was a thorn in her eye last year and would be a thorn in her eye again this year. She was going to need a lot of drinks to get through the holidays.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Maggie paced around in the hall. It was Sunday and she shouldn’t be here. She should be home, preparing for Christmas Eve. She stopped pacing upon seeing her daughter’s confused and puzzled look. Okay, she could do this, although she wasn’t sure if this was a good idea.

“Mama?” Isabel asked, tilting her head.

“Everything is okay, mija,” Maggie replied, offering her daughter a smile. “Okay,” she whispered to herself. She curled her fingers into a fist and knocked on the door. “If she’s not home, I should take it as a sign and leave, not wait here until she does get home.”

There was some noise coming from inside the apartment. After eleven of the longest seconds of Maggie’s life, the door opened.

Alex’s pale face was in strong contrast with the black shirt she had on. “Maggie,” she said, perplexed.

“Hey, Danvers,” Maggie replied, her smile full of hurt, remembering the last time she was here.

Alex’s eyes flit from Maggie to the little girl who was holding Maggie’s hand.

“This is my daughter, Isabel,” Maggie said to Alex.

“Hi,” Isabel said, smiling shyly.

Alex needed someone to pinch her immediately because she had to be dreaming. Surely her ex who didn’t want any children didn’t show up at her door with a child.

“I can explain,” Maggie said to Alex, biting her lip.

Alex’s smile was barely there. She crouched down and stuck out a hand. “Hey, Isabel, I’m Alex,” she said, offering the girl a genuine smile, as best as she could. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Isabel’s tiny hand slipped into Alex’s. “It’s nice to meet you, too,” she replied, smiling back. “Mama, is this the woman you’re in love with?”

Maggie’s eyes widened because she never told her daughter that and now Alex was staring at her and oh my god, could her ex get any paler? “How so, mija?” she asked, trying not to stare back at Alex.

“You talk in your sleep sometimes,” Isabel answered, surprising Maggie.

“Erm… please come in,” Alex said, realizing they were still standing in the hall. “Would you like some cookies, sweetie?” she asked Isabel, who looked adorable in her reindeer sweater.

Isabel nodded excitedly and followed Alex to her table.

Alex gave Isabel a glass of milk and two cookies before settling down on her couch with Maggie, waiting for her explanation.

“A year ago one of my neighbors knocked on my door, claiming Isabel was stealing,” Maggie shared quietly. “Izzy was four at the time and all she was stealing was a sandwich. I gave her food, tried to talk to her and ask her some questions. I found out she was an orphan.”

Alex had a lump in her throat while she listened to Maggie explain how she grew attached to Isabel and how she decided to adopt her.

“I’m here because of your phone call,” Maggie confessed, unsure if she would have dared to show up here if it hadn’t been for that call. “I need you to know I love you, too. I loved you when we were together, I still love you and I’m quite sure a part of me will always love you. It’s almost Christmas and maybe this is going to sound completely insane or like I’m not making sense, but it would mean a lot to me if we can be in each other’s lives again because I’d rather be your friend than not have you in my life at all.”

For a moment, Alex thought Maggie was going to suggest they could date, but maybe that was beyond crazy. She couldn’t exactly leap into Maggie’s arms after all this time, even though she had dreamt of doing that ever since she walked out the door a year and a half ago.

“It would mean a lot to me, too,” Alex replied after a long pause. “How about you and Isabel stay tonight? It’s Christmas Eve and there is so much food, I think not even Kara can eat all of it.”

“Have you met your sister?” Maggie asked, chuckling. “By the way, good on her for finally noticing Lena is a much better match than Mon-El.”

“Tell me about it,” Alex agreed. She looked over at the table where Isabel was munching on the cookies she gave her. “A child truly knows how to wrap around your heart and don’t let go, hm?” she asked, smiling now that she knew Maggie discovered the lure of wanting to be a parent.

“I understand now why you want children,” Maggie whispered with a silent sigh. “I can’t picture my life without Isabel in it anymore. I’ve been trying to teach her how to tie her shoelaces and it’s just… being a mother is… it’s beautiful. When she has nightmares, I hold her in my arms and it feels surreal I can shelter her and scare the bad things away. When she makes drawings which probably don’t look like much to others, I feel like she’s going to be the next Picasso because I know that one way or another, she’s going to grow up and be amazing.”

“That’s because she’s being raised by an amazing woman,” Alex whispered, simply stating the truth.

Time slowed down until it stilled altogether. Neither Alex nor Maggie knew who leaned in. Their lips nearly touched when a knock startled them apart.

Alex sighed. Of course, Kara and Lena were coming over. They had the worst timing, although they were technically several minutes too late.

“I told you I heard three heartbeats,” Kara murmured to Lena.

“I asked Maggie and her daughter to stay,” Alex blurted out, although Maggie hadn’t told her yet if she would stay or not and now she sort of assumed she would and confirmed it in her place.

“Ah…,” Kara said, making a surprised face. “Maggie and… her daughter.”

Alex pinched the bridge of her nose while Maggie properly introduced Isabel to Kara and Lena. This wasn’t how she pictured Christmas Eve, but she wasn’t sure what to do or say. There was a lot to process at once and she was still hopelessly in love with Maggie, who according to Isabel was in love with her too.

“Excuse me, I’ll be right back,” Kara said out of the blue. “I just um… things.”

“Presents,” Lena whispered in Alex’s ear, chuckling.

Alex hoped Kara didn’t plan on coming back with a kitten for Isabel, no matter how sweet that would be.

“So, you and Kara,” Maggie said to Lena, wondering if the Luthor woman felt as awkward as she did. “I had a lot riding on you two.”

“It took a while,” Lena replied, nodding. “I was working up the courage to ask her out in a way that said I’m not asking as a friend, I’m asking as a woman who is into women, who is into you. I had to literally spell it out I was asking her out in the romantic I want to kiss you senseless kind of way.”

Maggie chuckled because she could definitely picture Kara being a totally oblivious puppy. “Did she float when you kissed her?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Let’s just say my fear of heights found a new level and kissing her outside was probably not my most genius idea ever,” Lena answered, causing Maggie and Alex to laugh.

Kara returned holding a poorly wrapped gift, which looked suspiciously like a giant teddy bear.

Alex smiled at the sight of it because she knew her sister had a soft spot for children just like she did. She almost laughed as Lena’s eyebrows nearly touched her hairline. “I look forward to being an aunt,” she said with a wink.

Kara’s smile was so bright it could light up the room while Lena looked close to mortified.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“My mama thinks you’re really pretty,” Isabel told Alex with a smile while she sat on her lap.

“Izzy,” Maggie groaned. She wondered if her daughter was trying to play matchmaker for her, which was a new development, very new. In the past she sometimes had children trying to woo her for their parents, which was always cute, but never quite worked on her. She never dated single moms and it was crazy to know she was a single mom now.

Alex smiled at Isabel. “I think she’s really pretty, too,” she said, melting when Isabel smiled impossibly brighter. It wasn’t all that surprising Isabel wriggled her way into Maggie’s heart because she barely met the little girl and she was already finding a place in her heart.

“Mama also thinks you’re smart and-”

“And that you’ve shared more than enough,” Maggie interrupted her daughter. “Kids,” she said to Alex with a chuckle. “Izzy has a wild imagination.”

“Imagination, hm?” Alex asked with a knowing smile. “I’m sure she does.”

“Your cookies are really good,” Isabel said to Alex. “May I please have another one?”

“Awe, of course, sweetie,” Alex answered, combing her fingers through Isabel’s hair. “You can have all of the cookies.”

“Hey,” Kara objected, pouting.

“I’ll share,” Isabel assured Kara.

“She’s a little angel,” Kara said. “Lena, can we adopt a child?”

Lena choked on her champagne. “We just adopted a bunch of kittens, darling,” she answered with a sweet yet nervous smile. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t adopt one in the future,” she added.

Alex shook her head at how whipped Lena was for her sister.

For Christmas movie time, Maggie found herself sitting next to Alex because it was the only spot left. She was fine with it, but it felt surreal to even be here. When she showed up at Alex’s door, she thought she would tell her how she felt and then leave, though in hindsight that wasn’t a well thought-out plan.

Isabel had migrated from Alex’s lap to sit on the lap of a very surprised Lena.

Alex caught Lena smiling at Isabel more than once. It was amazing how much one child could make people melt and she doubted anyone could resist Isabel’s cuteness. She subconsciously rested her head on Maggie’s shoulder.

Maggie’s heart was erratic and having Alex this close brought back a lot of memories. She nudged Alex’s pinkie with hers until she was able to lace their fingers together. It almost felt as if she never left.

Alex couldn’t focus on the movie. She was suddenly very aware of the fact she was holding Maggie’s hand. Up until yesterday she would have laughed if someone would have told her this was how her Christmas Eve would go. She would have never believed Maggie would show up at her apartment with a child if she hadn’t seen it happening with her own two eyes. Sitting here on the couch like this felt like a dream, like something she wanted.

Maggie caressed the back of Alex’s hand with her thumb.

Alex felt as if Maggie was trying to tell her she was here and that she wasn’t going anywhere, though she didn’t want to read too much into it.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

After dinner, Maggie found herself pulled aside by Kara. She fully expected some kind of shovel talk or a stern warning. “Okay, little Danvers,” she said. “I’m all ears.”

Kara engulfed Maggie in a hug. “Welcome back,” she whispered, stunning Maggie. “I noticed the way my sister has been smiling at you and how you two interact and just…please don’t hurt her.”

Maggie didn’t plan on hurting Alex. She would never hurt the woman she loved on purpose. With a slight frown, she watched Kara walk away. Things hadn’t changed much, but they sure changed. In the past she always thought Kara couldn’t stand her, especially the first time she met Kara and was told how she heard all about her. Granted, that was after the first time Alex kissed her and she didn’t kiss her back, but it was an awkward moment.

“Hey,” Alex whispered, showing up next to Maggie. “Thanks for staying,” she whispered with a small smile. It meant a lot to her Maggie hadn’t left yet so they could spend Christmas Eve together.

“It was my pleasure,” Maggie replied, smiling while she watched from a distance how Kara and Lena were telling Isabel about the kittens they adopted. “I think Izzy is having a good time this year,” she said, because she saw her smiling way more than she did a year ago.

“She’s a little sweetheart,” Alex said, faintly wishing Maggie and Isabel would never walk out of the door. “You know… you’re standing under the mistletoe,” she pointed out. It seemed like such a cliché, but it wasn’t her fault Maggie was standing under the mistletoe out of all of the places in her apartment where she could have been standing.

Maggie looked up and saw that she was indeed standing under the mistletoe. When she glanced over at Kara, she noticed her smiling like an idiot before averting her eyes like she was just caught red-handed. Oh okay, little Danvers was sneaky. It couldn’t be a coincidence Kara had pulled her right underneath the mistletoe.

“Usually when two people are standing under the mistletoe,-” Alex began, sighing. “You know what, I can’t do this,” she said, shaking her head. “I can’t keep smiling at you as if I’m not thinking about kissing you, about feeling the soft press of your lips against mine. As if I’m not thinking about holding you in my arms. I know you’ve only been here for a few hours, but I can’t be your friend.”

Maggie had a sense of déjà vu. She heard the whole Alex not wanting to be her friend talk before. It wasn’t easy to hear back then and it certainly wasn’t any easier to hear it now. The truth was she didn’t exactly wanted to be Alex’s friend either. She did want to be friends, but she wanted to be so much more than that at the same time.

“Someone I’m in love with once told me we should kiss the girls we want to kiss,” Alex whispered while she slowly put her hands on Maggie’s hips.

Maggie’s eyes snapped up while her hope went up as well. “Alex…,” she whispered, feeling lightheaded when Alex leaned in.

“And I really want to kiss you, Maggie,” Alex confessed, no longer holding back. “Mistletoe or not, I need to feel what coming home feels like again.”

Maggie needed to feel that, too. She helped Alex close the gap between them. Surrendering her heart never felt so sweet as it did now, kissing the woman she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She wove her hands through Alex’s short locks, kissing her like she needed her lips more than oxygen.

Alex kissed Maggie back with just as much passion. She kissed her with want and need, with determination. She kissed Maggie as if it was their first kiss and their last, savoring every second of it.

The next morning Alex and Maggie woke up with Isabel cuddled between them.

“I knew Santa would give me my present,” Isabel said, smiling from ear to ear as her eyes flit between Alex and Maggie. “Merry Christmas!”

Alex’s heart just about exploded as Isabel flung her arms around her neck. She wrapped one arm around her and reached for Maggie with the other. “Please stay?”

“I wouldn’t dream of ever leaving you again, Danvers,” Maggie answered, crying tears of joy while Alex’s eyes were glassy. “I know this might sound abrupt, but we should marry the women we want to marry and I really want to marry you. Alex Danvers, will you marry me?”

Alex cried as she kissed Maggie. This was the best Christmas she ever had and there was no better present than unwrapping Maggie’s heart, knowing it was hers to keep.

“Thank you, Santa,” Isabel said later on Christmas day while Alex and Maggie were cuddling on the couch. “Next year, I want a little brother or sister.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas! :)


End file.
